Tag Archives: Woo Lae Oak

It never ceases to amaze me that I grew up in L.A., let alone lived there for so long, because I just don’t like it at all. And in spite of wide-spread world-wide hatred of the place, in my circle I seem to be alone in this. My friends who grew up in L.A. and still live there love it (naturally), but so do my L.A.-to-New York transplant friends, who will never leave New York, but still find L.A. and amusing oddity. I just don’t think I could ever live there. Between the bad air, the traffic, and the silly airhead population (it could be just the waiters and waitresses, but either way, very unappetizing) I just don’t know how I ever did it. I managed to enjoy spending time with my family, and doing a few other activities I can share here.

Everyone seems to love this place. I think they had an off-night, but it didn’t matter too much because I had great company. My dear dear friend Noelle and I met up for the hour-long wait, and then happened to run into two of her good friends Cheryl and Elizabeth, who were a total blast. It made up for the fact that the sushi chef was rude and “doesn’t do omikase.” What kind of sushi chef doesn’t?

Open late, and a truly spectacular burger. But too many rules. At Hama it’s no omikase, here it’s no vodka? And you aren’t allowed to put ketchup on your burger. Still, a great experience–thanks to John and Noelle in large part.

I grew up eating meals in the kitchens of my Korean friends and frequenting Woo Lae Oak for birthday parties and Father’s Day (that would be the original Woo Lae Oak on Western and Wilshire thank you very much–none of this BH/Soho b.s.).

When I moved to Oakland in 2006 I was happy to find an abundance of Korean barbeque in the city. The first one I ever visited (and a favorite to this day) was Sahn Maru. It’s kind of like eating at your Korean grandmother’s house. Great seafood pancake, amazing spicy pork bulgogi (perhaps my favorite ever), and kind service. No barbeque-ing at the tables there though, and frankly, I don’t miss it. Who needs to get all smoky and pay to cook their own dinner? Not I.

The humble decor isn’t the draw here, but it’s comfy. And anyway, the price of upscale decor in Korean restaurants often amounts to being forced to listen to house music or mid-90’s “down-tempo” grooves for your entire meal.

Another favorite is Ohgane. Newer, sleeker, and larger than Sahn Maru, I find Ohgane to be a nice place to go just to mix things up a little. It’s also a bit livelier than Sahn Maru if you’re looking for more of a night-out-on-the-town type place. I love the thinly sliced radish they bring with the lettuce leaves here.

Finally there is Jong Ga House. Before it was A Rockridge Life, it was a Grand Lake Life, and Jong Ga was right around the corner. This place has funky decor and a bar, which up the kitsch factor. My favorite part of Jong Ga is the cold and spicy noodle soup offered gratis while you wait for your order.

I’m trying to get up the nerve to bring the bulgogi home tonight and make my own. I’ve looked at a few recipes, and it doesn’t look too hard, though I don’t know how close I’ll get in terms of authenticity. Here are three recipes I’m considering.